Production in the clutch from both Cal State Fullerton junior Richy Pedroza and Cal Poly junior Joey Wagman resulted in Big West Baseball Field Player and Pitcher of the Week honors, respectively.
Catalyst Pedroza Spurs Cal State Fullerton To 4-0 Week
Richy Pedroza (Covina, Calif./Northview HS) sparked Cal State Fullerton to a 4-0 week with clutch and consistent hitting that garnered him Big West Baseball Player of the Week accolades.
The junior hit safely in all four games and registered a .571 (8-for-14) average for the week. His five runs scored and three RBI accounted for nearly one third of the team’s total offense.
Pedroza provided perhaps the key hit of the entire UC Davis series. With the Titans trailing 4-1 in the eighth inning, Pedroza battled Aggie pitched Anthony Kupbens and worked a 12-pitch at bat against the southpaw. The 12th pitch saw Pedroza deliver an RBI-single to cut the Aggie lead to 4-2, and the Titans came up with three runs in the ninth to complete their second straight comeback victory in the series.
Pedroza scored the game-winning run in Saturday’s finale and finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored in the 11-0 victory. He also went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI in a non-conference victory against San Diego State and had a 2-for-4 effort in the series opener versus UCD.
Others nominated: Nathan Ring (Cal State Northridge); Matt Duffy (Long Beach State); Steven Moon (UC Santa Barbara); Jason Taasaas (Pacific)
Cal Poly's Wagman Snaps UC Irvine's Streak In Conference Series Openers
Cal Poly’s Joey Wagman (Danville, Calif./Monte Vista HS) shut down league-leading UC Irvine with eight scoreless innings to capture Big West Baseball Pitcher of the Week honors.
The righty scattered seven hits and walked just one while striking out four in Thursday’s 6-0 victory that set the tone for the rest of the series against the Anteaters. He retired the side in order twice and allowed just two UCI runners to reach third base in the 110-pitch effort.
Most impressively, Wagman ended a superlative streak for UC Irvine. The Anteaters had won a conference series opener in 25 straight series, a stretch that dated back to 2008 before Wagman produced his gem.
Others nominated: Koby Gauna (Cal State Fullerton); Louis Cohen (Cal State Northridge); Shawn Stuart (Long Beach State); Dylan Stuart (UC Riverside); Andrew Vasquez (UC Santa Barbara); Michael Hager (Pacific)